Lotus F1 News

[Feffman]

Lotus: Malaysian driver not essential

By Edd Straw Saturday, November 14th 2009, 10:47 GMT


Lotus F1 Racing does not need to place a Malaysian driver in one of its race seats in 2010, according to team principal Tony Fernandes, but the team is keen to run a driver from that part of the world in the future.

Fernandes, a successful Malaysian entrepreneur who launched Air Asia, is keen for the team to create a platform for driver development in South East Asia. But he insists that the team will only be willing to run a Malaysian driver if they are ready for Formula 1.

Fairuz Fauzy, who finished second in this year's Formula Renault 3.5 championship, is likely to be involved with the team, possibly as a third driver.

"That's not relevant for me at the moment because it's not a one-year project," he told AUTOSPORT when asked whether Lotus needs a Malaysian race driver next year. "The important thing is the Malaysian team, not the Malaysian driver.

"The fact is, people can support the team. If you look at Ferrari, they are an Italian team and every Italian supports them whether you have Kimi Raikkonen in the car, who's a Finn, or Fernando Alonso, who is Spanish. Ferrari hasn't had an Italian world champion for a very long time, but it is still the Italian team."

Fernandes is also keen not to repeat the negative publicity Alex Yoong received in Malaysia when he raced for Minardi in 2001-2002. Despite going on to become a race-winning A1GP driver, Yoong did not have the experience required for F1 and received some unfair press coverage during his time as the Malaysian media grew impatient with his battle to get up to speed as a grand prix driver.

"He was thrown in at the deep end and we won't make that mistake," said Fernandes. "Everyone feels that they are ready, but when you have a grid that is separated by 1.5 seconds it's highly competitive. The idea of Fairuz Fauzy is not just to shove a Malaysian driver in there to say that you are doing it.

"The success of this programme is whether you have 20 Malaysian drivers that have the ability and that one day maybe a team like McLaren or Ferrari has a Malaysian driver. But it is not critical for me. If Fauzy makes it, great - that's a bonus – but we are not going to throw him in at the deep end."

Lotus technical director Mike Gascoyne has said he is keen to have two experienced drivers, with ex-Toyota racer Jarno Trulli in contention for a drive, but Fernandes is keen to have a blend of youth and experience.

"If we can get a guy who has been doing it for a long time, that's fantastic because you can't buy experience and he can help us develop the car and the team," said Fernandes. "And he can help us after the race, adding value to driver development.

"On the second driver, I think that it's good to have someone young because sometimes if you have been doing it for 15 years there is a little bit of cynicism and it gets repetitious. If you've got an energetic young guy that rubs off on you.

"Ultimately, I will leave it to Mike and the team to decide."

[Feffman]

Lotus Strengthens Management Team


By Pablo Elizalde
Tuesday, February 16th 2010, 12:57 GMT

Lotus Racing has announced a strengthening of its senior management team, with S M Nasarudin and Dato' Kamarudin Meranun joining Tony Fernandes as deputy team principals.

The duo are shareholders of the Norfolk-based squad.

Lotus, returning to Formula 1 after an absence of 16 years, said it hopes the changes will give the team a strong leadership to tackle the challenge of racing in Formula 1 again.

"We made this dream possible, turning it from a simple Malaysian dream to reality," S M Nasarudin.

"This was all made possible through passion, hard work and team spirit. As with all the challenges that we have had to face to get to where we are now, we embraced these challenges as a team and now are even more determined to finish what we have started.

"We are realistic of our goals and by no means will it be easy from this point onwards, but the belief is there. We will consistently bring with us a professional and confident set up to each of the races for this season.

"As team owners, and in our Deputy Principal's roles, it further reflects our continued belief and commitment to this team."

Fernandes added: "Our goals and objectives are clear but, as mentioned earlier, there is still a huge task at hand. We have 19 races to go through and, with the three of us assisting each other in our roles, we believe that the management has all the necessary resources to bring the team to the forefront."

Lotus is taking to the track at Jerez tomorrow for its first public outing with the new T127 car.

[slngsht]

I see alot of Malaysia, and a little bit of Lotus.

Good for Fernandes in getting a national team going for Malaysia.

Does Lotus have anything to do with design of the chassis at all?

[scannon]

I see alot of Malaysia, and a little bit of Lotus.

Good for Fernandes in getting a national team going for Malaysia.

Does Lotus have anything to do with design of the chassis at all?

It is Lotus in name only.

[S1Steve]

Lotus Technical Director- Mike Gascoyne ex-Tyrrell, Sauber, Jordan,Bettetton/Renault,
Toyota, Spyker/Force India.
Tony Fernandes is the money, one of three guys that own their own airline in F1, Gascoyne is the brains, Lotus in name only !!!!
Chapman family was going to sue over the use the of Lotus brand, last year, so I would
guess some pounds were handed over.

[slngsht]

Lotus Technical Director- Mike Gascoyne ex-Tyrrell, Sauber, Jordan,Bettetton/Renault,
Toyota, Spyker/Force India.
Tony Fernandes is the money, one of three guys that own their own airline in F1, Gascoyne is the brains, Lotus in name only !!!!
Chapman family was going to sue over the use the of Lotus brand, last year, so I would
guess some pounds were handed over.
I'm having a hard time getting excited about that.

If they stink up the joint, drags Lotus through the mud. If they do well, I suppose it's a good marketing thing for Lotus, but real enthusiasts will know it's not really Lotus.

[S1Steve]

What I am trying to get excited about is our own F1 team, USF1. They have missed the first two tests in Spain. They have FIA permission to do their first test at Barber Motorsport Park. ( Don't we know someone that works there) . USF1 is going to test there next month from what little details I can get. But I want all the new team to do well.

[slngsht]

not looking good


http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,189...956816,00.html (http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,18954,3213_5956816,00.html)

The USF1 team is reportedly on the verge of quitting Formula One - and before they had even started.

Rumours of USF1's pending demise have made headlines for the past few months with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone often stating that he believes they won't make the 2010 grid.

The situation became dire this week when reports claimed that YouTube founder Chad Hurley has backed out of his sponsorship deal, with the lack of progress from the team believed to be the reason.

"The bottom line is really simple: sponsor money didn't come through the way it was supposed to and it has grinded down the company to a halt," an unnamed source told The New York Times.

"They're having trouble making payroll, they're having trouble paying suppliers and that's the situation they find themselves in."

And that lack of funds has, reportedly, brought USF1's dream of competing to a halt.

According to an Argentine media outlet, USF1 boss Peter Windsor has told their only driver, Argentina's José María López, that his services are no longer required as they won't be

The report claims that ""with tears in his eyes", Windsor informed Lopez, his father and a close associate that the team will most likely miss this year's Championship.

The team, though, has yet to comment on the reports.

[S1Steve]

All my favorite F1 sites are reporting bad news. Lots of hype at the start, and seemed to go down hill from there. Big , Giant, undertaking, $$$$$ starting a team from nothing.

Oh well, back to supporting that Red team !!!!!

[Feffman]

Lotus Racing Joins Forces With CNN

By Pablo Elizalde
Tuesday, March 2nd 2010, 09:32 GMT


The Lotus Racing team has signed a partnership deal with leading news network CNN, it was announced on Tuesday.

The team, which is bringing the Lotus name back to Formula 1 for the first time since 1993, said CNN's logos will on the T127 cars during the 2010 season.

"We are very proud to welcome CNN into the Lotus Racing family," said team principal Tony Fernandes.

"It is a sign of the positive impact we have already made in the global business market that such a prestigious brand, familiar to millions around the world as the definitive source of news and current affairs, has made the decision to partner with us.

"The whole team and I are looking forward to working with CNN in the months and years to come on some very exciting campaigns."

The deal will be managed by CNN's commercial 'Partner Solutions Group', led by Rani Raad, senior vice president CNN International Advertising Sales.

[thegoat]

Good to see a new sponsor in F1.

[DogsBollocks]

Who owns who any more and ....
it has been going on for years in F1 and the car industry in general, so right now it's Asia and India with the money.
I think its great for Lotus to be back in any form, if it was not for Proton of Malaya, Lotus would be just a fond memory.

I see alot of Malaysia, and a little bit of Lotus.

Good for Fernandes in getting a national team going for Malaysia.

Does Lotus have anything to do with design of the chassis at all?

[scannon]

Team US F1 shuts down operation

By Jonathan Noble and Dieter Rencken. Tuesday, March 2nd 2010, 19:29 GMT


Team US F1's Formula 1 hopes appeared to be over on Tuesday, with high level sources revealing to AUTOSPORT that the outfit has now effectively closed down.
Against the backdrop of weeks of uncertainty about the future of the American team, which had been struggling to get a car ready for the start of the season, sources have revealed team personnel have now been informed they are no longer required as the operation could not continue in its present guise.

AUTOSPORT understands that shortly before lunchtime, production manager Dave Skog informed those staff who had remained at the team during its recent troubles that they were being put on unpaid leave - even though they remain technically employed.
That move, which has not yet been officially confirmed, effectively brings an end to the F1 dreams of team principal Ken Anderson and sporting director Peter Windsor who had hoped to create a genuine American grand prix team unless a fresh cash injection can be found.

It is understood that neither Anderson nor Windsor were present at the factory while the announcement was made, and neither was available for comment about the latest situation.
Calls to the factory switchboard have also gone unanswered, with a message stating that the number is temporarily not working.

The failure of Team US F1 to make it onto the grid means that there is now a vacancy for the Serbian outfit Stefan Grand Prix, which has been sitting on the sidelines for several months.

US F1 will need to be officially withdrawn from the championship if Stefan GP is going to have a chance of getting a late entry - although such a situation may be possible if FIA technical delegate Charlie Whiting's inspection visit to the American team's factory last week showed that the outfit was not capable of competing.

It is also not clear what US F1 investor Chad Hurley will now do. The American YouTube co-founder, who had invested in the team, has been linked with potential deals with both Stefan GP and Campos Meta in recent weeks - and it is possible he may choose to remain in F1 through involvement with another team.

[scannon]

US F1 has applied for a deferral until 2011.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8547335.stm

[DogsBollocks]

its dead

[Feffman]

Gascoyne: Reliability Key to Early Points

By Jonathan Noble
Monday, March 8th 2010, 12:31 GMT


Lotus technical chief Mike Gascoyne thinks reliability will be key in giving his team a chance of scoring points in the early races of the season - even though the car is lacking pace.

Formula 1's new teams have so far not delivered the kind of speed on track that will be needed to challenge the established outfits – but that has not left Gascoyne downbeat about the situation.

In fact, Gascoyne believes that Lotus' form has been hit by the fact his outfit has been chasing reliability from the outset – as he is well aware that just getting to the finish of grands prix early in the year could deliver some early points.

"With the best will in the world, none of the new teams are going to score points on merit in the first four races," Gascoyne told AUTOSPORT ahead of the season opener in Bahrain. "The only way you are ever going to score points is to finish.

"Everyone knows that in the first four races, there is always going to be a good opportunity if you finish - so that has to be the number one aim.

"That's how we approached it because if you put new aero bits on it, you can make it quicker. If you're not finishing you're not going to get anything. The aim was always to do the first four races and have a car that has a chance of finishing."

Although the Lotus T127 suffered a few reliability problems in the last test in Barcelona, Gascoyne thinks the team is in good shape considering how little time it has had to get ready for the move in F1.

"[It was] nothing major, just normal stuff, to be honest," he said about the stoppages in Barcelona.

"Nothing that we are worried about. We have far exceeded the mileage that we thought we would do and, starting the project five months ago, the aim was to have a neat simple car that would be reliable for the first four races. It was a pretty tall order, and we've achieved it probably better than we expected we could."

Lotus is planning a major aerodynamic upgrade in time for the start of the European season in Bahrain – with Gascoyne expecting big leaps forward in pace.

"Normally you are chipping away and finding tenths, but now we are looking at updates that will bring us a second," he said.

"You have to bear in mind that when we were finalising the design of this car, doing the crash structure and radiator inlets, it was still a month away from going in a wind tunnel. The basic radiator configuration had to be designed with no cooling figures, and no data.

"People have said the bodywork at the rear is a bit chunky, and it is – because when we were deciding on cooling figures we didn't have any engine data. And when we took the route that we want to finish the first few races - we had to make sure that it cools, and does all the right things, so we had to do it like that."

[Feffman]

Lotus Aims To Be In Top Five By 2013

By Dieter Rencken and Pablo Elizalde
Tuesday, March 30th 2010, 15:34 GMT

Tony Fernandes is aiming for his Lotus team to be fighting among the top five Formula 1 outfits in the next three seasons.

Malaysian businessman Fernandes has brought the legendary Lotus name back to grand prix racing, and his team has so far being the strongest of the newcomers.

Heikki Kovalainen has been the only driver in one of the new teams to finish both in Bahrain and Australia, having also qualified in front of his direct rivals in Melbourne.

Fernandes now reckons Lotus can be fighting to be in the top ten in the championship next year, before taking another step forward over the next two seasons.

"After Bahrain I've got the idea that within three seasons we can be up there up in the top five teams," Fernandes told AUTOSPORT. "Top ten I would hope this time next year we could be up there.

"I think it's harder for them [established teams] to find two seconds, but easier for us, because we've had five months. We built a car that was heavier, we got the wrong radiators, etcetera, etcetera. So I think we can catch them up.

"Race pace we are not that far away. Heikki was giving Hulkenberg a bit of a race, so I'm confident we can get to the Saubers and Williams and the Renaults and Toro Rossos. It does seem, even when I say it, it seems tough.

"I hope [to be in the top five over the next three years]. Lots of things are going to happen over those three years which I think will make it easier for us."

The Lotus boss, who is bringing a big majority of the financial backing, also believes his team will not need a huge budget to succeed in Formula 1.

"I don't necessarily think it does, to be honest," he added. "Toyota spent hundreds of millions of dollars and they never got there. I think it's people more than anything.

"If someone does an analysis on what's spent in Formula 1, there's a f***-load of waste. The hundred million doesn't equal 300 million of pace, necessarily."

And Fernandes made it clear he is in Formula 1 for the long term, not only to succeed, but also because he believes it makes sense financially.

"Yes. You don't do it unless you are in for the long haul. We are here for passion but also for the business as well. We think it's a good business."

[Feffman]

Trulli says season starts now for Lotus

By Jonathan Noble and Pablo Elizalde
Thursday, May 6th 2010, 14:27 GMT


Jarno Trulli says this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix will mark his Lotus's team proper debut in Formula 1.

The team faced a race against time after gaining a late entry to compete this season, something that meant the time to design and prepare its car was very limited.

However, after four races, Lotus will introduce a major upgrade package in Barcelona this weekend, hoping to gain over a full second per lap.

Trulli reckons it is not when the teams will start competing properly.

"It's more realistic to say now Lotus officially enters Formula 1," Trulli told AUTOSPORT.

"We hope not to be five seconds off now, but to be three, three and a half seconds off probably. It depends on the circuit conditions, and the layout, but we are aiming to close the gap more and more this year."

He also reckons the team has changed completely since the start of work to be ready to make its debut in Bahrain.

"You cannot imagine," he said of the change to the team. "At the moment the factory is starting to look like a normal Formula 1 factory, with all the departments working flat out, with all the engineers and the designers, which we didn't have at the beginning. We really were a bit desperate, but it was mainly given by the limited time.

"I think Mike is now really organising everything inside in order to start designing and building everything in-house. We are really looking like a very professional team now."

Trulli insisted this is a transition year for his team, and admitted he has been happy to see his feedback has been listened to in order to improve the car.

"We've got some aero parts, and we've also got some mechanical parts," he said.

"The direction I've been giving and the problems I've been pointing out they are exactly what I was saying, which means that we understood and we have confirmed what are the key points that we really need to attack in order to turn this car around, which probably will be hard for this season, but at least we have a clear idea and direction for next year.

"I'm very happy about this. This is a preparation season for me, a transition season where I really need to give all my knowledge and all my experience in order to prepare next year, when we'll have all the time to prepare the car and make it competitive."

And the Italian suggested his team should not focus a lot more in improving this year, but rather on preparing for next season.

"Even though it will be hard I think we can still work and gain speed, like we did here. But to turn the season around won't be so easy. I think also we don't necessarily have to do that. I think our aim is to beat the newcomers, but make sure we also start thinking soon about the next year.

"Because we start to have the power to prepare for next year better and better and I don't want to miss that opportunity. This year is like this, we knew it, but I'm already thinking of where I want to be for next year."

[Feffman]

Lotus Now Eyeing Established Teams - Kovalainen


By Motorsport.com/GMM
Date 2010-05-19

Lotus is almost ready to begin fighting with F1's established teams, according to Heikki Kovalainen.

The Malaysian backed outfit has been the most impressive of the sport's three new entrants this year, particularly in the wake of a recent upgrade for the T127 car.

And despite Kovalainen retiring in Monaco with a steering problem, the Finn thinks Lotus is getting ready to make its next step.

"For a time I was able to drive at the same pace as the Renault of Petrov," he is quoted by France's Auto Hebdo after the famous street race.

"We showed in Monaco that we are clearly the best of the new teams and that we will soon be able to fight with the teams in front of us."

28-year-old Kovalainen's was the fourteenth fastest race lap in Monaco, ahead of the Saubers and even Rubens Barrichello's Williams.

[Feffman]

Lotus Set To Shift Focus To 2011 Car

By Jonathan Noble
Thursday, May 20th 2010, 10:33 GMT


Lotus has elected to shift design focus onto next year's car in the hope that the head-start on its 2011 challenger will help it surprise the opposition.

The Hingham-based outfit has made good progress with its T127 this season, with a major aerodynamic upgrade introduced at the Spanish Grand Prix helping the outfit close down the gap on the established outfits.

And although the team plans to introduce another update for the British Grand Prix, Lotus' technical chief has confirmed that the priority now is to get on with ensuring it does as good a job as possible for 2011.

"We still have stuff coming through and there will probably be a package for Silverstone, but now we are very much concentrating on 2011," Gascoyne told AUTOSPORT. "The 2011 model is going in the wind tunnel soon.

"This year we were always going to play catch up. Next year, with the big rule changes, it levels the playing field and we need to put our resources into that. So we want to keep pushing, but we want to look at next year as well."

With the limited time frame that the team had to create its 2010 car, having only been given the green light for its entry six months before the start of the season, Gascoyne admits that the team had to focus on simply getting its challenger ready for this year rather than pushing it to the design limit.

And although he thinks further improvements can be made to the T127, he reckons that resources will actually be better spent focusing on 2011 because there is little hope of overhauling the current teams in the points' table.

"We want to get 10th [in the Constructors' Championship] and realistically, even if we made the car better, would we get ninth or eighth? Probably not.

"Therefore is it worth putting resources into that, or switching them to next year? There is also the commercial aspect you want to be seen moving forward this year, but we want to take some people by surprise next year."

He added: "We are still testing in the wind tunnel and there are bits in production that are coming through, so we are not stopping now.

"We are also taking weight out of the car. We don't have carbon suspension on the car, that will be coming through for Silverstone, and that will obviously carry over to next year. We are pretty happy with where we are."

[Feffman]

Lotus Signings a 'Statement of Intent'

By Matt Beer
Wednesday, June 2nd 2010, 17:52 GMT


Lotus' chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne has described the signing of leading design personnel Mark Smith, Marianne Hinson and Lewis Butler from Force India as a 'statement of intent'.

He says drivers Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen knew when they joined up that moves to recruit the trio were underway, and that this was key to convincing the two experienced racers to take a chance on the start-up team.

"Certainly starting next year and targeting where we're going to be next year and beyond, this is a significant statement of intent," Gascoyne told AUTOSPORT. "A little bit like signing Jarno and Heikki. You had two experienced drivers and people saying 'well what are they going to be driving at the back of the grid? Why are they doing it?'

"Well now you start to see why maybe, because they would've know that these sort of people were on board a long time before everyone else did. That's what they're signing up for, the fact that next year's car is going to be designed by people of this calibre. That's why they're on board."

He described Smith and his colleagues' decision to join Lotus as a major complement to the young team.

"They have faith in the team, they have faith in the finance of the team, they have faith in me, they have faith in Tony [Fernandes]," Gascoyne said.

"Norfolk isn't the easiest place in the country to persuade people to come to, and the fact that they're moving their families, it shows the belief that there is in Lotus. I don't think they want to move to Norfolk because they're loyal to me, they've got to believe in what they're doing."

Gascoyne added that the new personnel would help Lotus move its focus onto its 2011 car.

"There will be updates all year, but it was always the intention to switch early," he said. "You saw in Turkey that we've come from five seconds off the pace to three seconds off the pace. But we're still a second off the cars in front - the Toro Rossos, the Williams, the Saubers.

"Now we think we'll close that done to not very much by the end of the year, but it still puts you 19th and 20th on the grid. So there's an element of saying 'why bother?', let's switch that resource onto 2011 and start 2011 in the midfield pack.

"I think that's a very sound argument and that's very much what we're focused on, and again these guys are very much part of that."

While Hinson and Butler have already started work at Lotus, Gascoyne said Smith's arrival date depended on him negotiating a notice period with Force India.

"That's entirely in his hands and Force India's," he said. "He'll come to us when he's able to."

Lotus announced its new signings on the same day that Force India issued a statement insisting it was still pursuing legal action against the team, but Gascoyne played down the situation between the two squads.

"It's unfortunate. We regard the legal action as old news really," he said. "We feel that situation will become eminently clear to everyone as that develops."

[Feffman]

Reluctant Trulli to Get New Chassis

By Jonathan Noble
Friday, June 18th 2010, 13:09 GMT


Jarno Trulli will get a new chassis for the European Grand Prix - but only after he initially turned the car change down because he did not want team-mate Heikki Kovalainen to feel he was being favoured.

Lotus' latest chassis was always scheduled for arrival at the Valencia race, and Kovalainen had been pencilled down as the man to get it.

However, with Trulli having complained of balance problems with his usual car, technical chief Mike Gascoyne reckoned it would be in the team's interests that the Italian gets it instead this time.

When Trulli was told what has happening, however, he said he did not want the new chassis because it was not fair on Kovalainen.

"Jarno has been pretty unhappy with the balance of his car and has been struggling," Gascoyne told AUTOSPORT. "We have a new chassis scheduled to come for Valencia, and that was due to go to Heikki.

"But, because of Jarno's troubles, I made the call to change it to him. But Jarno, when he was told, said, 'No, I don't want Heikki to feel that I am being favoured, please feel free to give it to Heikki.'

"So I went up to Heikki and told him. Then he said, 'No, Jarno is struggling, give it to him!'

"It's a situation that sums up the great feeling within the team - that they are both trying to help each other. In the end we are going to give it to Jarno, but the two drivers are open to swapping it around afterwards."

On the back of an encouraging performance at the Canadian Grand Prix, and with a major upgrade on the car scheduled for the British GP, Gascoyne thinks the team's focus has shifted from being best of the new outfits, to actually threatening the establishment.

"From the whole of the Canada weekend, the message is that it is time we stopped looking at being the best of the new teams and looking behind us," he said.

"This is now about trying to outqualify a Sauber - trying to race the Williams and the Renault cars. It is about being a midfield team not just the best of the new boys. I think that is the statement we have made this weekend."

Gascoyne thinks it too much to expect Lotus becoming a regular in hauling itself among the established teams, but reckons it can on occasion punch above its weight.

"I would say in reality we are probably seven or eight tenths away from them, and the Silverstone upgrade might bring us half a second closer. Will we nick places off people consistently? Probably not, but with the two drivers we have got, with their experience - if anyone drops the ball or doesn't get the right lap then I think we can start nicking some odd places.

"What we said at the start of the year was that we wanted to end up challenging the back end of the midfield group and I think that is exactly where we will be. You would like to be beating them, but in reality that was always going to be too much of a step, especially as we are concentrating on next year's car now.

"But I think we will still end up exactly where we said we would be. We had one employee this time a year ago, so for the performance we did in Canada everyone in the team can hold their head up. It is a statement from the new teams - you can come in and do a hell of a good job and be racing, and I think that is very good news for F1."

[Feffman]

Lotus Aims High For 500th GP
By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, June 22nd 2010
16:18 GMT


Lotus drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli are looking for another step forward from their team at this weekend's European Grand Prix - when their cars will carry special logos to celebrate the marque's 500th event.

With Lotus founder Colin Chapman's son Clive and his family flying to Valencia to help mark the special occasion, the team is positive that it can deliver something on track to cheer about too.

Heikki Kovalainen said that, after the form showed by the team in recent weeks, there were high hopes that Lotus would soon become a big threat to the established teams.

"The last few races have been very positive for our team, we've been making progress every weekend and the plan is to carry on pushing," he said.

"For Valencia, and for the rest of the season, we're not looking back at the other new teams - we lapped them in Canada so we're looking to keep taking the fight to the guys ahead, and I think we can do that.

"This is obviously an historic weekend for Lotus, and for Lotus Racing, and I think we're starting to do justice to what's gone before us – it's fantastic that we can celebrate such a great milestone in Valencia, and it'll be an honour to be part of that."

Mike Gascoyne, the team's technical chief, hoped that a number of updates planned for the T127 for this weekend's race will help lift its performance in Spain.

"I'm really looking forward to this weekend, and am excited about both celebrating the 500th race Lotus has competed in, and helping add another chapter to one of motorsport’s greatest stories," he said.

"We've already come a long way this season, and have much further to go until we can add more glory to the Lotus legend, but I and the whole team are very proud to be in a position to help the Lotus name reach this landmark moment, and it'll be great to celebrate that with Clive, Tony [Fernandes] and the whole team.

"For the race, we have a few more updates to the car to help us keep pushing forward, so we’re not letting up on the challenge to take the race to the cars in front.

"I'm confident we'll put on a good performance in Valencia – we've got the right drivers to cope with the demands of the circuit itself, and the car keeps improving with every new step we take, so I think this will be another chance to pressure the midfield, and make good on the promise we showed in Canada."

Trulli is hoping that a new chassis he has for this weekend's race will help him deliver on the back of some encouraging pace in recent events.

"I'm really looking forward to Valencia," he said. "It's a circuit I like, and I enjoy the race there - It's always warm, and it's a beautiful city. I'm in the new chassis (T127-04) from this race, and hopefully that will bring me some better luck over the race weekend – in Canada I was really flying until the retirement, so I hope I can carry that through to this weekend and see the chequered flag.

"That's obviously important, but this weekend is also all about the 500th race for Lotus. It'll be very special to help take that famous name to such a milestone, and I'm very honoured to be part of it."

To help mark the occasion, a Lotus Type 12 will appear in the Valencia pit lane on Thursday evening alongside the current car.

[Feffman]

Trulli Says Lighter Lotus a Huge Boost

By Simon Strang and Pablo Elizalde
Thursday, July 8th 2010, 15:28 GMT


Jarno Trulli is looking forward to driving a much lighter Lotus car at this weekend's British Grand Prix.

The Italian believes the weight reduction will be a huge help for the team, even if it is not introducting significant aerodynamic updates for the race.

"Aerodynamically I wouldn't say it is a big improvement, it's still good but I wouldn't expect to go much quicker just from aero-wise," said Trulli on Thursday at Silverstone.

"But in terms of weight-loss, it is going to be a huge help. We are going to get a much lighter car which will help us to move the weight distribution forward and in terms of handling it is going to be much better.

"So the combination of the aero package a light-weight package I believe it will have a big impact."

He added: "We are not finished yet because we are missing the suspension which will lose us a further four kilos. That will not be ready for this weekend and will probably better for the next one."

Trulli is optimistic the changes will help the team take a step forward that close the gap to its rivals.

"We expect to make a step and we expect obviously to be closer but as everybody moves forward, we try to move as well. So we don't know how much closer we can be."

[Feffman]

Lotus Meets Renault Amid Cosworth Switch Rumours


Date 2010-07-12
By Motorsport.com/GMM

Lotus' potential switch to Renault power for 2011 might still be on, according to a media report.

Last week, we reported that the new Malaysian backed team will continue to use Cosworth engines next year, with boss Tony Fernandes saying the British supplier's product has been "competitive enough" in 2010.

But owner Fernandes also said Lotus "received offers from several (other) companies".

According to the BBC, Fernandes and technical boss Mike Gascoyne met with Renault before Sunday's British Grand Prix.

A reunion with Renault would return the familiar 'Lotus-Renault' moniker to Formula One, and it is also believed Lotus is in talks to use the fabled 'Team Lotus' name for its team in the future.

Asked to comment about Renault, Gascoyne said: "We have a contract with Cosworth and we're discussing with them ways to work together in the future."

It had also been rumoured that Williams was in talks for a Renault switch, but the British team confirmed at Silverstone that the FW33 will be powered by a Cosworth engine next year.

Asked about the Renault rumours, Cosworth's F1 boss Mark Gallagher said: "Nonsense. We are in partnership with Williams to provide a car up with the best."

[Feffman]

Lotus Closing In On Renault Deal

By Jonathan Noble
Tuesday, September 7th 2010, 10:19 GMT


Lotus is close to finalising a switch to Renault engines for next season - but the deal still hinges on whether it can find an agreement with Cosworth to end its contract with the famous engine-maker two years early.

AUTOSPORT understands that a deal has been agreed in principle for Lotus to secure a supply of Renault customer engines for 2011 – which would see the team receive the same specification of power-unit as other customer outfit Red Bull Racing.

It is believed the move came out when Lotus originally sought out a new supplier of gearboxes and transmissions for next year – after frustrations with reliability in that area throughout the course of this season.

Renault was more than happy to supply its gearbox and transmission units but, on the back of a push to increase its engine supply deals, it made a big effort to sell its power unit as part of the package too.

However, despite sources suggesting that a deal is ready to be signed for Lotus and Renault to tie up for the first time since 1986, the Hingham-based outfit still needs to resolve contractual issues with Cosworth.

As part of the deal it made when it entered F1 this year, Lotus signed a fixed three-year contract with Cosworth – and it is believed there is no break clause that would allow the team to get out of that unless the Northampton-based engine supplier was willing to do so.

It is not clear at the moment whether a financial settlement can be reached for Cosworth to agree to cut short its deal, or whether Lotus will be forced to delay its Renault ambitions.

Neither Lotus nor Cosworth have elaborated on the situation, and both insist that there are no plans for their relationship to change for now.

Cosworth general manager of F1 operations Mark Gallagher said: "As with the other new teams, Lotus has a fixed term three-year contract with Cosworth and we are very pleased it is happy with our engines and the job we have done for it during its first season in Formula 1."

Lotus technical chief Mike Gascoyne said: "We've got a contract with Cosworth and there is no further comment to make."

[Feffman]

Cosworth, Lotus Agree To End Deal

By Pablo Elizalde
Sunday, September 12th 2010, 21:34 GMT


Cosworth has announced that it has reached an agreement to end its current engine supply deal with the Lotus team.

The move paves the way for Lotus to sign a deal with Renault, with whom the team has reached an agreement in principle for a supply of engines, gearboxes and transmissions, as revealed by AUTOSPORT earlier this week.

"Cosworth has reached an agreement in principle with Lotus Racing whereby the team's Cosworth engine supply agreement will come to a conclusion at the end of the current Formula 1 season," said Cosworth in a statement on Sunday night.

"This agreement is subject to contract and until the agreement is signed, neither party will be making any further comment."

Lotus driver Jarno Trulli retired from today's Italian Grand Prix with a gearbox problem, promting team boss Tony Fernandes to post on Twitter: "Jarno retired [due to] gearbox. Oh well, making decisions easier."

[Feffman]

Lotus Sure Of Maintaining Position

By Matt Beer
Wednesday, September 15th 2010, 15:40 GMT


Lotus technical director Mike Gascoyne does not think his team will struggle to stay ahead of the other new-for-2010 squads in Singapore even though it has now stopped developing this year's car.

Many teams are expected to bring new packages for next weekend's grand prix, but Lotus is now pouring all its resources into its 2011 car.

However Gascoyne believes the T127 will be sufficiently suited to the Marina Bay track that upgrades will be unnecessary.

"The focus now is really on the 2011 car, so we won't be bringing any major new parts to Singapore," he said.

"Despite that, I think we'll be able to maintain the advantage we have over our nearest rivals on what is a pretty high downforce track. The track is bumpy and some of the kerbs are pretty high, so being able to deal with the bumps and the kerbs well is important.

"Both our drivers have reported that they feel like the car deals well with uneven surfaces, and they have the confidence to attack the kerbs in the T127, so let's see what happens."

Lotus is expected to announce its Renault engine deal and use of the Team Lotus name from 2012 during the Singapore GP weekend, as predicted by AUTOSPORT. A team statement promised that "a number of very exciting announcements about the team's future for 2011 and beyond" would happen in Singapore.

[Feffman]

Lotus To Team With Toyota in 2011


By Motorsport.com/GMM
Date 2010-09-17

Lotus has informed the media that it will be making "a number of very exciting announcements" in Singapore next weekend.

It is widely expected that the new team's current drivers will be retained for another season, and that Lotus Racing will take on the historic Team Lotus moniker for 2011 and beyond.

And according to the rumour mill, with the team's 2011 contract with Cosworth now dissolved, Lotus will be confirming an engine and gearbox deal with Renault.

But the Italian language Autosprint reports that Malaysian-owned Lotus could actually be set to announce a technical cooperation with Toyota Motorsport, the Cologne based outfit that raced in Formula One between 2002 and last year.

Toyota is currently supplying Pirelli with a 2009-spec test car, and has been linked with a technical collaboration for 2011 with HRT, the struggling Spanish team.

But Autosprint reports that Lotus and Toyota are in fact set to collaborate, with Mike Gascoyne proving the crucial link between the two outfits.

Several former members of Toyota's F1 team are now working with Lotus, such as sporting director Dieter Gass.

"We have to do something different and it will be done soon," team boss and owner Tony Fernandes told the BBC at Monza last weekend.

"Lots of negotiations have gone on over the last couple of weeks and we're very happy with the outcome," he added.

[Feffman]

Lotus Withdrew F1 Naming License Over T-Shirt Dispute

By Motorsport.com/GMM
Date 2010-09-29

Group Lotus terminated the naming license for Malaysian millionaire Tony Fernandes' Formula One team because of a dispute about t-shirts, team chief executive Riad Asmat has revealed.

On the face of it, the Proton-owned British carmaker has simply had a change of heart, deciding now to ramp up its involvement in motor sport and regretful that its brand is already separately deployed in Formula One.

It emerged last week that Group Lotus has decided to enter feeder categories GP2 and GP3 with ART, and it has now been announced that the carmaker is continuing its Indycar foray in 2011 whilst designing a prototype sports car for the LMP2 category.

Group Lotus also said it is upgrading its test track in Norfolk which will be eligible for "F1 testing".

"It's important for people to realise just how committed we are to doing our heritage justice," said director of motor sport Claudio Berro.

At the same time, Lotus has withdrawn its naming license to the current F1 team Lotus Racing, and has vowed to fight the team's intention to deploy the alternative 'Team Lotus' name in 2011 and beyond.

Group Lotus owner Proton is also withdrawing its on-car sponsorship of Fernandes' team.

"Unfortunately we never reached the point where we discussed extending that one year deal," said the team's chief executive Asmat.

He revealed that the naming license has been terminated due to "some very trivial points", including "t-shirt design approvals of all things".

Asmat said there will need to be talks with Group Lotus about the real reasons for the termination because "we thoroughly reject" the marque's right to have done so.

"Initially there was good cooperation but then issues cropped up after that and it came to a point where they said we were detrimental to their brand and infringed their rights," he told MediaCorp.

"One of these was about producing t-shirts, which we were told did not follow correct procedures and they terminated our agreement about two weeks ago," said Asmat.

He indicated that continuing to be called Lotus is crucial for the team, which explains the decision to take the matter to London's High Court.

"There are livelihoods at stake and we had to take this course of action in the courts," he said.

[Feffman]

Lotus To Use Red Bull Gearbox From 2011

By Pablo Elizalde
Tuesday, October 5th 2010, 06:28 GMT


Lotus Racing has confirmed that it will use Red Bull Technology gearboxes and hydraulic systems from the 2011 season.

The news follows on from the announcement that the team has ended its relationship with Cosworth. Lotus had used Xtrac gearboxes and hydraulics during its debut season in 2010.

"The announcement that we have reached a multi-year agreement with Red Bull Technology for the supply of our gearboxes and hydraulics from 2011 is obviously a massive step forward for us, both in engineering terms, and as an expression of our ambitions for next year and for future championships," said technical chief Mike Gascoyne.

"The gearbox / hydraulics package obviously plays a critical role in the performance of the car, not just on track but in design and packaging terms, and this deal gives our design and aero teams a very exciting platform to work with.

"The removal of the double diffusers in 2011 will allow the whole grid to tighten up the rear bodywork and mechanical structures around the gearbox, and this supply deal will allow us to capitalise on that with our 2011 car. Exciting times lie ahead."

Lotus is expected to make two further announcements this week, one of them expected to be a new deal to use Renault engines from next season.

The move would mean Lotus would use the same engine/gearbox combination as Red Bull Racing.

"We are very pleased about Lotus Racing's decision to use Red Bull Technology gearboxes and hydraulic systems from 2011," added Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner.

"The fact that Red Bull Technology has been chosen to be a supplier to another team despite its short history demonstrates how much we have achieved since our first season. We very much look forward to working with Lotus Racing from 2011 onwards."

[Feffman]

Lotus To Build Wind Tunnel At Hingham

By Jonathan Noble
Sunday, October 24th 2010, 03:30 GMT


Lotus is to build its own wind-tunnel facility in Hingham as part of an expansion programme that is being put in place over the next few years.

With the team having already laid down some good foundations having secured Renault engines and Red Bull Racing gearboxes for 2011, the outfit has now announced plans for growing its Hingham base.

As well as having its own wind tunnel facility, the team has confirmed that its new GP2 outfit - Team AirAsia - will also have its base next to the F1 factory.

Lotus technical chief Mike Gascoyne said: "To compete at the highest level in Formula 1 it is important to have all of the key elements involved in the design, manufacturing, testing and development of our cars under our direct control and on the same site.

"Today's announcement about the wind tunnel, which will be combined with additional production, office and administrative elements, gives us both the facility we need to lay the foundations for long-term success and is a clear sign that we are very serious about competing at the sharp end of the grid as quickly as we can.

"We have already achieved a phenomenal rate of growth for the team, and now have all the main functions in place to take the next step up, but I think it is important to also see that we are using our budget effectively, and focusing expenditure where it counts.

"Investing in our own wind-tunnel, to work alongside our substantial in-house CFD facility, is a key element in establishing complete control of one of the most important aspects of the design and manufacturing process in our sport, and it is clear to see that this sort of investment points towards a very bright future for the team."

[Feffman]

Lotus To Return To Black And Gold Livery

By Steven English
Thursday, November 11th 2010, 09:11 GMT


Lotus will revive its historic black and gold colours for the livery of its 2011 car.

The famous scheme was first launched in 1971 and carried the colours with John Player Special sponsorship from 1972-'79 and then from 1981-'86, before the team switched to Camel backing in 1987.

Lotus Racing will also hold a competition for a fan to design the new livery.

The team's chief executive, Riad Asmat, said: "When we first unveiled our 2010 car there was unanimous praise for our decision to bring the historic green and yellow livery back to the modern F1 grid.

"I know the return to the track of the legendary black and gold will be met with even more universal support as it strikes such an emotional chord with fans around the world.

"Giving those fans the chance to help us bring it back to the contemporary grid is true to our core belief of putting our supporters right at the heart of Lotus Racing - we can't wait to show the world what we come up with."

[Feffman]

Arabadzhiev, Gonzalez To Test For Lotus

By Steven English
Friday, November 12th 2010, 11:09 GMT


Lotus Racing has announced that it will run GP2 racers Vladimir Arabadzhiev and Rodolfo Gonzalez in the young driver test at Abu Dhabi next week.

Bulgarian Arabadzhiev, 26, contested most of this year's GP2 series with Coloni Motorsport, but was replaced by New Zealander Brendon Hartley after Spa.

Meanwhile, 24-year-old Venezuelan Gonzalez has spent this season with Arden with a best result of fourth at Monza after starting from the reverse-grid pole.

Lotus Racing's chief executive officer, Riad Asmat, said: "We are very pleased to have confirmed that Rodolfo and Vladimir will be driving for us in Abu Dhabi.

"They both come from countries with growing interest in motorsport and the chance to give emerging drivers the opportunity to step up to Formula 1 is central to the Lotus Racing philosophy of embracing young talent.

"Everyone in the team is looking forward to working with them over the two day test and I am delighted we could give them this opportunity."

[Feffman]

Now Mansell Backs Group Lotus in F1

By Motorsport.com/GMM
Date 2010-12-23

Nigel Mansell is the latest to wade into the Lotus debate, insisting he is "delighted" to see the name "return to Formula One" by partnering with the Renault team.

Briton Mansell drove iconic Lotus F1 cars in the 80s before moving on to Ferrari and finally winning the title in a Williams in 1992.

"It is particularly pleasing for me to see the union of Lotus and Renault again and the return of the iconic Black and Gold colours as driven by the late greats Ayrton Senna and Elio de Angelis, Johnny Dumfries and of course, myself in the 80s," he said.

Mansell's comments coincide with the publication of the abandoned black and gold livery that would have adorned the 'Team Lotus' cars next year amid the naming dispute with the separate Tony Fernandes camp.

The comments also coincide with the issuing of a statement by the family of Lotus' late founder Colin Chapman, whose famous black cap was proudly displayed on the pitwall by Fernandes' team in 2010.

But Chapman's son Clive said the family thinks the "Team Lotus name should not be used in Formula One".

"Indeed, assurances to this effect were received (last year)," he added.

Chapman said the family supported the Fernandes team when the Lotus Racing name was used with the consent of Group Lotus.

"However, then its license to use the Lotus name was terminated and things changed," he confirmed, adding that his family now backs Group Lotus as "the ongoing Lotus entity created by Colin and Hazel Chapman".

Mansell also recalled Colin Chapman in his statement posted on Group Lotus' official website.

"I am extremely grateful to Lotus and especially to Colin Chapman, who was so inspirational and almost like a second father to me and have been watching with great interest the developments that have been taking place recently at Hethel with their ambitious race and road car projects.

"I am really delighted to see that Lotus is back where it belongs competing with the best in the top echelons of motor sport," he added.

[Feffman]

Trulli Demands Progress From Lotus

By Jonathan Noble and Michele Lostia
Monday, January 10th 2011, 14:29 GMT


Jarno Trulli says he will not suffer a repeat of the troubles he had during 2010, as he eyes a decent step forward in performance this season.

The Italian, who is about to embark on his second campaign with Team Lotus, has made no secret of the fact that he felt his results last year did not live up to expectations.

But with Lotus having had much more preparation time ahead of 2011 - and having made the switch to Renault engines and Red Bull Racing gearboxes - Trulli says there are reasons to feel progress can be made.

However, he has dropped a hint that if things do not improve then he may well decide to call time on his F1 career.

"We have improved our organisation," Trulli told Gazzetta dello Sport. "But we've been racing for one year, not 20, we can't even think about fighting with the top teams.

"My objective is to fight in the midfield and have a chance to score points. I knew that 2010 would be a transition year: [although] it turned out to be worse than I had expected, but it's okay.

"But I won't accept to have another year like that. I don't like to show badly after a lifetime at the front. I can suffer for one year, but I can't for another one."

Trulli does concede that the big changes in F1's regulations this year, including new Pirelli tyres and the return to KERS, will make life hard for small teams like Lotus.

"It can hardly be tougher than 2010," he said. "But the rules have changed: even Red Bull, who had a great car, doesn't know whether it can repeat its success.

"There have been too many changes: from aerodynamics to tyres, to KERS. That's something we won't be able to afford: it costs a fortune and it's totally useless, it's nonsense. They talk about saving money, but every year the regulations change, people don't understand and the spectacle gets worse."

When asked about the ongoing situation regarding the naming row between his Team Lotus outfit and the Lotus-sponsored Renault team, Trulli said: "Which one is the real one is unknown, [and] that's embarrassing.

"I meet people telling me they've seen my car's new black and gold livery and I reply it's green. It's surreal."

[Feffman]

Trulli: Lotus Dispute Has Motivated Team

By Jonathan Noble
Monday, January 17th 2011, 15:25 GMT


Jarno Trulli says that his and Team Lotus's motivation for 2011 are higher than they have ever been before - as he claims the naming row surrounding the outfit has actually helped spur it on this winter.

With less than a fortnight to go before the new Team Lotus car hits the track for the first time at Valencia, Trulli says there is genuine excitement within the Hingham-based outfit about what is achievable this year.

He believes his team's deal for Renault engines and Red Bull Racing transmission will be critical in helping the team deliver a good car.

"We know we have the package to compete for at least the midfield and our aim is to race for points at every race," Trulli told AUTOSPORT in an exclusive interview on Monday. "I know it will be hard, but we know the package has the potential.

"We have a brand new Renault engine, we have a Red Bull gearbox - so we are thinking we can do well. Mike [Gascoyne, technical chief] has worked hard to set up a great team and get ready for this year.

"But while no-one exactly knows where they are going to be, I always dream and hope that we can do better than we expect. It has happened many times in the past - so maybe we can exceed our expectations for this year. I feel very confident."

Much of the talk surrounding Team Lotus over the winter has focused on the naming dispute between it and rival Renault, which has signed a sponsorship deal with Lotus.

Although that spat became quite heated in public, Trulli thinks the situation has been a blessing - acting as a rallying call for all the staff at Hingham.

"I think it has motivated a lot of people here," he said. "That stretches from the management like Tony Fernandes through to the shareholders, who have been through a lot of difficulties, and down to the last members of the team.

"What Tony did was unique. He has worked hard to bring the Lotus name back on track, which no-one had done for many years. He also just didn't go out there and buy a team.

"He and Mike [Gascoyne] made up the team from scratch – which comes from the Lotus mentality. It would have been easier to buy a team, but that is not what Colin Chapman did. He drew his own and manufactured his own F1 cars.

"That is why this is the real Team Lotus – and that is what makes it unique and different from the other Lotus team on track. We know that Group Lotus is going to sponsor the Renault team, and that is a very different thing – we have to make that very clear.

"They can argue and they can go to court, but at the end of the day the people understand what Team Lotus is and why it is doing what it is doing.

"It belongs to the heritage and the story of Colin Chapman. I am sure that Colin Chapman would have been proud of what we are doing. And to do that we need to deliver. That is not going to happen from just one day to another, and it will take a bit of time, but there will be more satisfaction when we do that.

"In my opinion, Tony is doing the right thing, even though we feel a bit sad about the row."

Trulli also says the progress Lotus has made over the winter has left him eager to get back to his best on track.

"Last year was the beginning of a new era for Team Lotus and we knew that with even limited time we could compete," he said. "So we put all our efforts onto this season, so we are very confident.

"I am very fired up, to be honest. It is like my first day of racing again. I admit that 2010 was difficult – but my confident feeling is back now."

[Feffman]

Lotus Naming Case To Begin Next Week

By Jonathan Noble
Tuesday, January 18th 2011, 11:00 GMT


The legal battle over the use of the Lotus name in Formula 1 is to hit the courts much earlier than originally anticipated - with the car company's bid for a summary judgement to be heard next week.

It had been expected that the legal row between Group Lotus and Team Lotus would not be in court until the early summer.

But Group Lotus is seeking a summary judgement on the main legal issues – that its early termination of its licencing deal with Lotus Racing was a breach of contract and over whether Team Lotus is allowed to use the name in Formula 1 this year.

The matter is set to be heard in the London courts on January 24.

A summary judgement is applied for by parties involved in legal disputes as a way of trying to avoid a full-blown trial and all the legal costs associated with it.

In a separate development, the Renault team's plans to run a black-and-gold livery for title sponsor Lotus has come under the spotlight of anti-tobacco campaigners.

With the colour scheme synonymous with the John Player Special sponsorship of the 1970's and 1980's, concerns have been voiced in Canada about whether the team will be allowed to run it there because of the country's strict anti-tobacco advertising legislation.

A spokesperson for Health Canada, which enforces the country's Tobacco Act, told the Toronto Globe and Mail: "Tobacco inspectors would need to fully review to assess whether a violation of the Tobacco Act has occurred.

"The Tobacco Act prohibits the promotion of tobacco products or tobacco product-related brand elements in Canada, except as authorized by the Act or regulations. Tobacco product sponsorship is prohibited entirely and tobacco advertising is severely restricted."

Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar told AUTOSPORT in December that he was not worried the black-and-gold colours would be linked with tobacco.

"I don't think we are using the kind of logos that the John Player Special cars used," he said.

"I simply believe, and again this is my personal opinion, I believe this is one of the two most beautiful liveries in Formula 1. This is why we will use it, and nothing else. I do not believe we will have any negative implications with potential tobacco advertising."


www.MVPTrackTime.com

[Feffman]

Genii, Not Group Lotus, Owns Renault Team - Boullier

By Motorsport.com/GMM
Date 2011-01-19

Eric Boullier has moved to clarify reports about the ownership structure of the Enstone based F1 team called Renault.

French carmaker Renault SA recently sold its remaining shareholding in the team to the Luxembourg based Genii Capital investment company, a report in the Italian magazine Autosprint explained.

There has been some confusion about whether new sponsor Group Lotus has already bought a share of the team or whether it merely intends to in the future.

The Autosprint report clarified that Genii in fact currently owns 100 per cent of the team.

"Renault decided to re-focus its resources in F1 and sold its remaining 25 per cent to Genii Capital," team boss Boullier confirmed.

He said the long-term agreement signed with Lotus is essentially for sponsorship at present but that it could "lead to Lotus Cars becoming a shareholder" at a later date.

Meanwhile, Boullier revealed that while the R31 car will debut at Valencia next month, he is not yet sure if Magneti-Marelli's KERS system will be fitted to the car at that stage.

And it has emerged that 25 engineers belonging to Group Lotus' Malaysian carmaker owner Proton will be sent for two-year engagements to work at the F1 team.

"It's a good way to get fresh ideas and a new way of thinking," Boullier said.

[Feffman]

Renault (Lotus?) Eyes Top Three This Season

By Jonathan Noble
Thursday, January 20th 2011, 11:37 GMT


Renault is setting its sights on a top-three finish in the world championship this year, as the team hints about a very 'brave' design for its R31.

The Enstone-based outfit is due to unveil its 2011 challenger in Valencia on January 31, and there are high hopes that the car will help the outfit make further progress on the steps it delivered throughout last year.

The team's chief operating officer Patrick Louis has said that the ambition is for a top-three finish in the title chase - with technical director James Allison hinting about an aggressive design to its new car.

Speaking in a pre-season video interview on the Group Lotus website, with the sportscar manufacturer being the team's title sponsor this year, Allison said: "This time of year is a heady mix of both thrilling excitement of finding out, confirming that all your plans are coming to fruition, and also abject terror that you will not deliver the thing in time.

"Anyone who follows the sport will have seen that words like aggressive [and] brave are being bandied around across several of the teams this year for their solutions.

"I believe that we have chosen a direction that is really on the brave end of brave."

Renault team principal Eric Boullier told AUTOSPORT last weekend that the team was hoping to win races this year - and he admitted in the Lotus video that the pressure was on the outfit to deliver on those ambitions.

"We want to win and we want to be successful in Formula 1," Boullier explained. "The more attention we can get from the fans and the Lotus people and from all our sponsors, we put ourselves into a pressure mode because we have to win.

"We know now we will be much more competitive than last year. We don't know yet obviously what the other teams, and the other forces, will be in F1 - but we already know we will be much stronger."

www.MVPTrackTime.com

[Feffman]

Court Hearing Will Not Resolve Lotus Row

By Jonathan Noble
Monday, January 24th 2011, 11:12 GMT


The row over the use of the Lotus name in Formula 1 hits the courts in London today - but irrespective of the outcome of the first legal skirmish, the matter will certainly continue to drag on until much later this year.

Team Lotus, which is owned by Tony Fernandes, is facing a legal battle with Group Lotus over the rights to use his outfit's name from the start of 2011.

He is not only involved in a court case over what he claims was an illegal termination of a five-year licencing deal he had to run as Lotus Racing, but he is also fighting an action from the sportscar manufacturer which disputes that he is not allowed to race under the Team Lotus banner either.

Group Lotus is going to court today to apply for a summary judgement over the termination of the licencing deal, which it believes means Fernandes' operation - 1Malaysia Racing – is not allowed to continue using the Lotus name in F1.

A judge will decide whether there are grounds for a full-blown legal case, or whether the matter is so cut-and-dry that there is no need for one. The latter outcome is believed to be unlikely, however.

Even if the judge did decide that Group Lotus has a valid argument to prevent 1Malaysia Racing from using the Lotus name in its title, the ruling would almost certainly go to appeal – forcing the court case further down the road anyway.

Fernandes himself said on Monday there was no possibility of the legal situation coming out of this week's court case preventing Team Lotus from racing under that name in 2011.

"Many confused about case today," he wrote on his Twitter feed. "It's not about Team Lotus name who owns it, which is in November. We brought that case to prove once and for all.

"Today's case is Group [Lotus] desperate attempt to use their one way unlawful termination of license agreement of Lotus Racing. Saying 1Malaysia can't use Lotus [name]. Part of post termination clauses. So nothing changes on Team Lotus."

The court hearing is scheduled to begin at 2pm on Monday, with a verdict not expected until Tuesday.

[Feffman]

I keep expecting to hear Soap Opera music playing!


Team Lotus Confident Over Naming Case

By Jonathan Noble
Tuesday, January 25th 2011, 10:33 GMT


Team Lotus has declared itself 'confident' that it will win its legal dispute with Group Lotus and be able to use its famous name in Formula 1 this year, in the wake of the first court skirmish between the parties.

The London High Court on Monday rejected a bid by Group Lotus for a summary judgement on issues relating to what Team Lotus claims was an early termination of a five-year licencing deal it originally put in place from 2010.

But as well as Mr. Justice Peter Smith stating that he felt the dispute could only be settled with a full-blown case, he also said that he wanted the trial to begin as early as possible.

A push to try and get the matter into court before the start of the 2011 season could not be realised, but a March 21 date has been pencilled in for the proceedings to begin.

With that date falling between the first two races of the season in Bahrain and Australia, it means that unless there is an out-of-court settlement in the next few weeks Team Lotus will definitely be starting the campaign with its current name.

A statement issued by Team Lotus after the court hearing said it was pleased with how the proceedings went and that it remained bullish the final outcome would go its way.

"Team Lotus is delighted that we were successful at the Summary Judgment Application hearing today and that the Judge threw out Group Lotus' application even before hearing the arguments of the barristers on either side," said the statement.

"Although this decision was never in doubt, it means that we start the 2011 season under the Team Lotus name. Whilst we expected that the Judge would refuse this application, it is good to have the decision in black and white.

"The Judge also felt that it was in everyone's best interests to bring the hearing date for the full trial forward and that is now fixed for 21st March rather than us having to wait until Autumn 2011 or even later. We remain confident that we will succeed at the full trial and we can now focus on the challenges ahead in the 2011 FIA Formula 1 World Championship."

Team Lotus boss Tony Fernandes wrote on his Twitter feed that he too was delighted with the current situation.

"Very, very happy over the judgment today," he wrote. "And extremely happy that full trial brought forward to March 21st.The good do always eventually win."

[Kitcat]

"The good do always eventually win." Clearly the innocent words of an engineer/manager, not a veteran trial attorney.

[Feffman]

Trulli Delighted With Lotus' Potential

By Edd Straw and Matt Beer
Sunday, February 20th 2011, 19:47 GMT


Jarno Trulli says he is delighted with the new Lotus, despite reliability worries, and reckons there is still plenty more to come from the car.

The Italian was sixth-fastest at Catalunya today.

"There is still a lot to come out, but so far it's very promising, very good," Trulli told AUTOSPORT.

"I'm happy because it was a long time that we were not so close to the guys at the top. I'm really happy at the moment about the way we are progressing.

"Obviously, I think still a lot more potential in the car. We need to work, we need to get the mileage done, in order to have more confidence in the car and also, set-up wise, we haven't done much so I think we are on the right way but we still have a lot to get out of the car."

Lotus has had some niggling reliability issues, with water leaks proving particularly common. But Trulli said he was actually more encouraged because Lotus was looking so strong even with the interruptions to its running.

"In general it was a difficult day because there we had a lot of stops, a lot of mechanical gremlins, which prevented us doing more laps," he said. "All in all I was very impressed by the car because we managed to do a few runs. Good conditions, good laptimes, so competitive."

He does not think Lotus should be any more concerned about its reliability than any other team.

Asked if he was concerned that testing was not going very smoothly for his team, Trulli replied: "I think we're not the only one down in the paddock. A lot of people are fighting with reliability, but we have to look at our car and definitely we have some stuff to get fixed."

[Feffman]

Reliability A Concern For Trulli

By Jonathan Noble and Pablo Elizalde
Thursday, March 10th 2011, 09:11 GMT


Jarno Trulli admits the reliability of his Lotus car is still a concern ahead of the start of the season in Australia.

"Yes, at the moment we still have a lot of stuff that is not correct, and causes some concern," Trulli said in Barcelona following the second day of testing.

"We still have a lot of issues we need to solve for the first race, I hope we are going to solve them and get to Australia reliable enough. This Bahrain cancellation has helped us quite a lot."

Trulli says, however, that the situation is completely different to last year, when the team was in a rush to get its car ready following the late granting of its entry.

"Last year we could not do that because they were not actually built by us, so we could not react," he said. "This year we have a lot of new stuff, and when you have a lot of new stuff you are going to have some reliability problems, but you can also solve them during the season.

"Let's wait and see. I am sure the first race will be better, and we will be in a better shape during the season as we will have brand new stuff."

The Italian, whose team was the best of the new comers last year, is still optimistic Lotus will be a contender for the midfield this season.

"I think at the moment it is difficult to judge. I reckon who is looking pretty strong of the midfield and we won't catch is probably Toro Rosso, which is going very well from the beginning of the winter testing.

"McLaren is not doing very well but still obviously ahead of us - the question mark is Sauber and Force India – those teams are the ones that probably we might be fighting with. But it is obviously too early to say.

"I am confident we can still be in the midfield."

[Feffman]

Kovalainen Confident Lotus Is Reliable

By Edd Straw
Thursday, March 24th 2011, 07:42 GMT


Heikki Kovalainen is confident that Team Lotus has put its reliability problems behind it despite a troubled pre-season with the T128.

Lotus managed just over 2500 miles during pre-season in February and March, suffering from a number of mechanical problems, but the Finn believes that the team made a big step in the final test at Barcelona.

"I'm not worried about the reliability," said Kovalainen. "It's the first car that the team designed ourselves and I think that the problems we have had are perfectly acceptable.

"If you look at the final day that I had in Barcelona, I didn't have a single problem. We can't guarantee that it's bullet-proof, but it's pretty good."

Kovalainen expects to be close the midfield pack on pace during the Australian Grand Prix weekend and that the team, which is only in its second season in F1, is making good progress.

"The progress that we have made since last year is very good," he said. "At the moment, I think that we are ahead of the other new teams and have pulled ahead of them.

"We are not too far behind the cars ahead of us and probably Force India is next target. We are on the right track, but still need to improve. The car needs more grip, more downforce, that's the main issue. This car is a good base, so I'm very happy."

Team-mate Jarno Trulli admitted that the pre-season mechanical problems held the team back. He is hopeful that by maximising the mileage this weekend, Lotus can start to realise the car's potential.

"The pace wasn't too bad," said Trulli. "We were more affected by the reliability gremlins than any pace problems.

"When you can't run very much, you cannot develop the car the way that you want, so we are a little bit behind on that.

"We can exploit the car better, but now we just have to concentrate on getting the best out of the car in the first part of the season."

[Feffman]

Glitches Hiding Pace, Insists Lotus

By Matt Beer
Friday, April 8th 2011, 09:03 GMT

Lotus technical director Mike Gascoyne says his team urgently needs to address its reliability issues so it can show what its T128 can really do.

The team's best result of Friday practice in Malaysia was 16th with Jarno Trulli in the first session. Test driver Davide Valsecchi's morning outing came to a slightly early end due to a sensor issue, while Heikki Kovalainen only had four laps when he took over the car in the afternoon before a differential failure struck.

"This morning we had a pretty good session, with Davide having his first run in the car here at Sepang and he did a good job for the team, although his last run was cut a bit short," said Gascoyne.

"With Jarno we tried both the hard tyre and the development tyre and have good feedback on both.

"This afternoon we had what looks like a differential problem on Heikki's car which meant his afternoon was cut short, so apologies to him for that.

"With Jarno we managed to complete most of the programme, despite changing his power steering, but unfortunately when he was on the soft tyres traffic held him up which meant he wasn't able to extract the maximum speed from the car.

"Despite this it is clear that the pace of the car is closer to the midfield than we were in Melbourne and now the onus is on us to make sure the reliability issues are solved and give the drivers a chance to show what the car can really do."

Team boss Tony Fernandes remains certain that Lotus is quicker around Sepang than it looked today.

"If Jarno had not had traffic issues we would have been much closer to being able to show our true pace than we were in Melbourne and even though we keep being dogged by reliability issues we are still very excited about the weekend ahead and what will happen in qualifying tomorrow," he said.

[Feffman]

Team Lotus Linked to Caterham Tie-Up

By Jonathan Noble
Thursday, April 21st 2011, 15:26 GMT


Team Lotus has been linked to a tie-up deal with sportscar manufacturer Caterham, with an announcement about a takeover possible as early as next week.

The Hingham-based outfit has announced that it is to hold a major press conference at Duxford Airfield next week - although it has not confirmed any further details.

In an invite sent to the press, the team stated that the media event would be "an incredibly exciting announcement about the future of the team".

Sources have revealed to AUTOSPORT that Team Lotus could be on the verge of a takeover of Caterham - which if it came off would provide obvious marketing and technical opportunities between the F1 operation and the road car business.

The link with Caterham could also in theory give the F1 team another option in terms of a future brand name for the outfit, if it opts to move away from the 'Team Lotus' moniker on the back of the dispute with Group Lotus.

Team Lotus declined to comment on the Caterham speculation when contacted by AUTOSPORT on Thursday.

Next week's press event will also likely come before there is any firm answer from the British courts about the ongoing Lotus naming dispute.

It had originally been hoped that the judge could issue his verdict as early as this week, but sources suggest that there will now be a delay for several weeks – meaning the issue will not be settled until next month.

[Feffman]

Lotus Eyes Points Finishes From Spain

By Jonathan Noble
Tuesday, April 26th 2011, 09:40 GMT

Team Lotus can set it sights on delivering its first points finishes from the Spanish Grand Prix onwards thanks to the major update of its car planned for that event, reckons technical chief Mike Gascoyne.

The team is on course to deliver a major overhaul of its car for Barcelona, which will include the team's version of the exhaust-blown diffuser that a number of other teams have already introduced this year.

And hopes for a big step forward in pace are such that Gascoyne is optimistic it can lift his outfit from the back end of the midfield right into the chase for a top ten finish.

"I think if we look at scoring points, we have to look at Barcelona onwards," he told the official Team Lotus website. "The updates to the car are going to be very significant."

Speaking in detail about the upgrade plans for the car - which will also include tweaks to overcome the power-steering issues the team has suffered from - Gascoyne said: "Our major update is coming along for Barcelona, which will be a major update for the diffuser and the rear end of car.

"It will bring quite a lot of performance to the car, and we've got some other smaller updates for Barcelona [too]. And then also smaller updates for Turkey as well."

Gascoyne has said he is satisfied with the performance of the team in the first three races of the year, and he thinks the difficulties it has faced getting its tyres into the right operating window in cooler conditions should not be a problem for too much longer.

"It's good to be back after the first three flyaway races," he said. "It is always quite an intense time getting everything freighted out to those flyaway races, and it is difficult to get many updates onto the car.

"In general we are reasonably pleased. We had four out of six finishes and showed good pace in the races – China especially. We qualified very well in Malaysia, very close to the teams in front.

"The one negative is we have struggled a bit with qualifying and [single] lap pace, especially in cooler conditions and cooler track temperatures, but I think that is something we are getting on top of. Coming up for the next few races won't be a problem."

Team Lotus is due to announce a tie-up with British sportscar maker Caterham during a media event at Duxford on Wednesday, a move which will see an expansion of the F1 outfit's off-track activities.

[Feffman]

Lotus Confirms Caterham Purchase


By Pablo Elizalde
Wednesday, April 27th 2011, 10:05 GMT

Team Lotus Enterprises has confirmed the purchase of British sportscar maker Caterham Cars, as reported by AUTOSPORT last week.

The deal will enable the lightweight sportscar manufacturer to "expand its brand profile and product family," according to Team Lotus.

"Caterham has a unique place at the heart of the motoring world," said Team Lotus owner Tony Fernandes. "As well as being proudly and staunchly British, it has an enviable and uniquely unblemished reputation within the industry for performance, handling and engineering excellence.

"Caterham Cars has remained wholly faithful to Colin Chapman's philosophy of 'less is more', and the DNA of the original Seven can still be traced to the newest additions to Caterham's product offering.

"It is already a successful business with sales across Europe, Japan, Australia and the Middle East, and under the guidance of the existing management team, we now have all the ingredients and the launch pad to further evolve that spirit and take Caterham to new exciting horizons with innovative products and greater global brand exposure."

The announcement comes before a decision from the British courts about the ongoing Lotus naming dispute, although there was no mention of a rumoured name change in the statement.

The team said that the purchase will signal the continued development of its famous Seven brand, using F1 technology.

Caterham Cars' managing director Ansar Ali added: "This is yet another exciting chapter in the Caterham story. Until now, the resources Caterham has had at its disposal have, naturally, limited the exposure of the Caterham driving experience and the legendary Seven has had to rely almost entirely on its remarkable reputation and legacy.

"We will remain entirely true to the philosophy that we, as custodians of one man's motoring concept, have protected for nearly 40 years.

"However, the acquisition of the company by Team Lotus Enterprises will allow our existing management team to take Caterham's core spirit of pure driving enjoyment to a hitherto un-served audience.

"While the Seven will now have the global springboard it deserves and will continue to be evolved yet further, we also have the opportunity to expand the Caterham family beyond the Seven and SP/300.R and breathe new life into our uniquely respected brand and mature it into a truly global business."